EAMMON HARKIN - A MAN OF MANY CAREERS

Eammon Harkin is aiming to complete the Clerical Medical Parish Walk for the sixth time in June - and hoping it will be a lot less painful than in 2007.

After his fifth trek around the 85 miles, he felt that he was in better shape than on any of his previous finishes but nevertheless took advantage of Ben Scott's physiotherapy service.  But after his massage in the back of a horsebox at the finish, he slipped on the ramp on his way out in the damp conditions. After initially blacking out, he was taken to Nobles Hospital. He had two broken ribs and a lot of pain for the next couple of months.

Eammon first entered the Parish Walk in 2002 and walked to Rushen with wife Jan exactly at his planned four miles per hour.  Although he subsequently completed the End to End Walk with Jan, and she also walked as far Peel in the Parish Walk on her own, he set his sights on going the whole way the following year.  It will not surprise those that know Eammon that he has been incredibly close to his own predicted times ever since.

This is how he has progressed:

Born in Derry, Eammon arrived in the Isle of Man in 1977 to study for a PhD in Marine Biology in Port Erin at the Marine Biological Station. He completed his course in 1981 and Dr Harkin married Jan the following year. His qualifications were not tested straight away, he worked on a fish farm at Kirk Michael for a short time to pay off his student debts, but he took up teaching in 1982, first at Ballakermeen High School in Douglas and then at QE2 High School in Peel.

In 1985 he was the first chartered accountancy student to train with Touche Ross & Co in the Island (he spent the first year in Liverpool) and by 1989 he was able to add ACA to his growing list of initials. He spent six years in the audit field with Touche (later Deloitte & Touche and now just Deloitte) before managing their trust and company business for four years.

After 10 years with the firm he was appointed managing director of what was then Caymanx Trust Company (now Cayman National) in Athol Street where he was to spend the next 10 years running and developing a business with both banking and corporate service activities.

His next move took him to the south of the Island which he loves.  Since 2005 he has been working in Ballasalla travelling just a few miles from The Howe near Port St Mary.  He has been providing accountancy services to a number of businesses but plans to devote more and more time to his property company, IM9 Limited, in the New Year.  The company has already embarked on a number of projects, all in the south, and he dreams of reviving some of the inner areas of the southern towns.

Having survived a life threatening brain haemorrhage in 1999, and witnessed "the Troubles" in Derry as a teenager (where he saw violence at first hand), it will take more than the pain of his broken ribs to put him off another Parish Walk and number six will add to his two 100 mile walks in Norfolk and the Isle of Man in 2005 and 2006.  Across the desk (from where I faced him for the past three months) he told me that he has less time these days for his love of scuba diving and long distance yachting. Having spent several years renovating his beautiful home overlooking most of the south of the Isle of Man, he will also be spending time doing the same to a house in his homeland next year. Daughters Breeshey and Catreeney are currently at King Williams College (head girl) and Castle Rushen High School respectively.

Murray Lambden - 29 November 2007

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007